Vancouver’s centre for visual art practice
Canadian registered charity
Since 1975
Donate Now

Donate Now

 

As a registered charity, Malaspina has provided over $25,000 in financial support to low income artists in Vancouver for the 2023 year. We need your help to continue supporting artists in our communities. Our facilities provide equitable access to rare and specialized equipment and training in a supportive community environment. 

Your donations matter, by donating just $14 a month for 12 months you can help provide one month of 24/7 studio access for someone facing financial barriers. Malaspina will provide a receipt for the charitable donation.

Help us maintain accessible art facilities in Vancouver.  

Donate Here!

 

To set up recurring donations, contact us at [email protected]

 

 

You can read stories from artists who have accessed our art facilities with financial support, and what this has meant to them and their communities. 

 

I immigrated to Canada and settled in Vancouver as an adult in 2017. I went to art school in the UK and during that time I came to understand just how important it is for me to be involved in the community aspect of process driven mediums. My practice has grown into an interdisciplinary space, with process driven work in the fields of photography and printmaking still playing an integral part.

After moving to Canada, I had to take on multiple jobs in order to keep myself afloat, and found that my income wasn't enough to cover studio costs on top of the high living expenses in Vancouver. I found accessible studio space at Malaspina. As someone new to the country and city, not only was this a lifeline for my practice, but it also gave me a much needed entry point into the art community here. My art practice is integral to my mental wellbeing, I'm also recently diagnosed with ADHD and am now understanding just how important the processes and steps involved in printmaking are to keeping my mind engaged and focused. Having this support in being able to access not only the equipment at Malaspina, but also the incredible community there, has been something I am hugely grateful for and has really helped me feel at home and able to continue to invest in my artistic practice and mental well being.

The practice of sharing resources and knowledge at Malaspina enabled me to grow as an artist and as a professional within the arts and culture sector. Because of this support and skill sharing I have been able to find stable employment, taking on technical roles at a number of universities in BC - including a permanent role as a Photography Technician at Emily Carr University of Art and Design. I continue to share what I've learned at Malaspina with my students in other communities, and am proud to be a part of the wider artistic community that calls Malaspina home - it is a joy to be able to engage in the sharing of resources, knowledge and the community spirit that is fostered there.

 

I am an artist parent who works part-time at Emily Carr University as a technician. I often have a lot of balls in the air juggling parenting, working and making art. Being a part of Malaspina’s community has provided me a safe, inclusive, creative environment. The studio access program has allowed me to continue to access specialized equipment and space at a discounted rate which is rare in Vancouver. During my time at Malaspina, I created a large volume of screen and relief prints for an installation at Martha Street Studio, Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was the first time for me to exhibit a large scale printed installation. As a result, I have been invited by the curator of the Richmond Art Gallery to create an installation for a forthcoming group exhibition opening October 2024. 

 

I am a neurodivergent artist who works with tactile processes. I seek out physicality in my daily work as a way of communicating divergence and practicing self regulating strategies. As a hand weaver I have developed an intimate connection to grids, lines, the transition from tangle to order. I was very fortunate to receive a Canada Council Research and Creation grant which allowed me to work at Malaspina under mentorship and within the guidance of the community to expand my practice into printmaking. This has led to a number of exhibitions and opportunities to combine printmaking and weaving and collaboration with other printmakers. I have even taught a popular workshop at Malaspina and have another one planned for the spring. I didn't realize how over time, working in this community, I would begin to feel part of a chosen family. I am able to work early in the morning to accommodate my need for quiet work time and amongst incredibly skilled artists who make space for divergent needs. The artists who work out of Malaspina are unique and generous and I am grateful for the discounted studio access program which has allowed me to keep exploring within this community. WIthout this funding I would not be able to continue my print practice.